Top 10 Reasons to become a Wild One

Wild Ones is an educational and advocy organizationpromoting environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration and establishment of native plant communities. Here are my top 10 reasons why you should become a Wild Ones member:

10. Saving or rescuing native plants. Unfortunately native plants are removed from remnants or gardens due to construction or homeowners who haven’t learned the beauty and benefits of native plants. Sometimes we have excess native plants in our gardens we would like to share with others. Help save, share or get native plants by participating in a Wild Ones plant rescue !

9. Participating in the Wild Ones members only online discussion group, where members can ask questions, share ideas, or get tips from other members nationwide.

7. So much fun to meet and eventually become friends with like-minded people, businesses and other affiliate organizations who really want to landscape in harmony with nature and heal the earth, one landscape at a time.

6. There’s probably a chapter near you. There are 7 chapters in Illinois and over 50 chapters nationwide, mostly in the midwest. You can start a chapter in your area too!

5. This is a grass-roots organization run mostly by volunteers so the membership cost is low and benefits are high. Membership is also tax-deductible.

4. Your membership and donations support the Seeds for Education Grant – this is a very popular nationwide grant that supports native plants and natural landscaping in schools, for scout troops, and other public educational areas/organizations.

3. Receiving the Wild Ones Journal. It is an excellent magazine containing many informative and interesting articles about native plants, wildlife and natural landscaping.

2. Participating in local native plant sales, native plant and ecological workshops and programs, seed exchanges, native yard tours, and natural areas tours given by your local chapter and other chapters nationwide, plus the wealth of information on the Wild Ones National and local chapter websites, and newsletters. You get valuable hands-on education.

Drum roll please *************

The number one reason to become a Wild Ones member is:

1. The look on people’s faces, especially friends and family when you tell them you are a “Wild One”. 🙂